Reeling device



Feb. 18, 1958 R. sTocK 2,823,359

REELING DEVICE Filed March 6,- 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l %l j A moll f lRobert .5700( BY W. ATOREYS Feb. 18, 1958 R. s'rocK 2,823,859

REELING DEVICE Filed March 6, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LNVENTOR Robert5706A f /fdf ATTURNEYS AUnite tetes Patent O REELING DEVICE RobertStock, Montreal, Quebec, Application March 6, 1953, Serial No. 340,857 7Claims. (Cl. 235--"i1) This application is a continuation-inpart ot mycopending patent application Serial No. 133,375, tiled December 16,1949, now U. S. Patent No. 2,714,492, dated August 2, i955.

The present invention relates to a reeling device more particularlyintended as a slide rule structure which enables the construction of aslide rule having a greater accuracy than slide rules of ordinary sizes.

The slide rule structure, according to the invention form a computingdevice which comprises a ileXible scale bearing sheet member wound ontwo reels and slidable relatively to a stationary sheet member alsobearing scales adapted to be read in conjunction with those of theslidable sheet member.

Due to the tact that the movable sheet member has a substantial length,the device, according to the invention, permits of solving mathematicalproblems with much greater accuracy than ordinary size slide rules.Namely, it will reach an accuracy of four to ve igures.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of acomputing device of the character described in which there is no playbetween the rotational movement of the reels and the longitudinal'travelling of the movable sheet member and especially when thedirection of travelling ot said sheet is changed.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of acomputing device of the character described which will enable thedisplacement of the movable sheet member in small increments in order toobtain an accurate setting ot t. e graduations of said movable memberrelatively to the graduations of the stationary sheet member.

' Yet another important object of the present invention is the provisionof a device of the character described which is very simple inconstruction and which will give a prolonged service.

The foregoing and other important objects of the present invention willbecome more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring tothe drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rst embodiment of the computingdevice according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the saine, taken along line 2-2 ofFigure 3;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional along line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatical longitudinal section of a second embodimentaccording to the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a cross-section along hne 5-5 of Figures 2 and 4. y

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like referencecharacters indicate like elements throughout, the computing device,according to the invention, comprises a casing the slanting top 2 ofwhich hasa rectangular opening which is closed by a transparent panel 3maintained in position by means of the frame 4 screwed to the top 2 bybolts 5. A hat stationary sheet 6 is supported underneath the panel land is provided a A 2,823,859 Ice Patented Fas. is, e

with a plurality of spaced parallel elongated apertures such as 7 alongone or both edges of which are disposed scale graduations.

In an alternative construction, not shown, the sheet member 6 may bedispensed with and the graduations may be directly marked on the panel3, in which case said panel would be partially opaque.

A sheet of iiexible material 11, such as paper, is displaceableunderneath the stationary sheet 6 and bears scale graduations such asadapted to show through the elongated apertures 7 of the stationarysheet 6 and are adapted to be read in conjunction with the scalegraduations of said sheet 6. The portion of the flexible sheet 11 incontact with the stationary sheet member 6 is supported by a plate 1Swhich may be secured to the sides 1 of the casing 1 by brackets 16, orwhich may be integral with said casing. This plate 15 is preferablyprovided with elongated ribs 17 (Figure 3) in alignment with apertures 7to raise the scale bearing portions of the slidable sheet 11 in order toavoid parallax while reading the scales.

Referring to Figure 2, the ends of the sheet 11 are respectively securedto and wound around two spaced parallel reels or cylinders 18 and 19 ofequal diameter.

The cylinder i8 is located at the top rear portion of the casing 1 andis mounted on a shaft 20 journalled in the sides 1 of the casing 1.

Also mounted on said shaft 2i) is a pulley 21 rigid with the cylinder1S.

Instead of having the shaft 26 journalled in the side walls l', thecylinder 1S could be rotatably mounted on said shaft or said cylindercould be rotatably mounted on pointed screws.

A shaft 23, which is journalled in the side walls i at the front portionof the casing 1, supports the cylinder 19, the latter being secured tosaid shaft. The shaft 23 projects through the side walls of the casingto mount the manipulating knobs 27 as shown in Figures l and 5. A pulley24 is freely rotatable on the shaft 23 and has a. diameter greater thanthe diameter of the pulley 2l associated with the cylinder 1S. Anendless beit 22 is trained over the pulleys 21 and 24 and is capable ofslipping on said pulleys. A ratchet wheel 3l? is rigidly secured to ormade integral with the pulley 24. A pawl 32 is pivotally mounted on thecylinder i9 and is engageable with the teeth of the ratchet wheel Sil.

Finally a brake lever 33 pivoted to a side wall l of the casing at 34,is urged against the periphery of the cylinder 18 by means of the coilspring 35.

ln the arrangement described, it is apparent that the cylinders 18 and19 rotate at an equal peripheral speed in either direction due to theconnection consisting of the sheet 11. These cylinders rotate also at anequal angular speed due to their equal diameters. But pulley 2l willrotate or tend to rotate at a greater angular speed than free pulley 24due to its smaller diameter.

Referring again to Figure 2, upon clockwise rotation of the knob 27 towind the sheet l1 around the cylinder' 13, the pawl 32 mounted on thepositively driven cylinder 19, engages the ratchet wheel 3), and thepulley 24 and belt 22 tend to rotate the cylinder i3, through smallerdiameter pulley 2l, at a greater peripheral speed than is allowed by thesheet 1l unwound from cylinder i9, whereby said sheet il is maintainedtaut during this rotation and slipping occurs between belt 22 and atleast one of the pulleys 21 and 24.

Counter-clockwise rotation of the knob 27 causes the positive rotationof cylinder 19 which winds the sheet il against the frictional forceexerted by the brake lever 33 on the periphery of cylinder 18, as saidsheet 11, due to the respective diameters of the cylinders and pulleys,causes the belt 2?. to rotate the pulley 24 at a slower angular speedthan the angular speed at which the cylinder 19 is rotated, the pawl 32being thus disengaged from the ratchet wheel 39. When the knobs 27 arenot rotated, the brake lever 33 maintains the system in the position ofthe last setting.

Although the equality ofthe overall diameters of the cylinders 1S and 19is not maintained in the course of operation due to the thickness of thesheet il wound on said cylinders, the above explanation holds withincertain limits of said thickness depending on the relative diameters ofthe pulleys 2l and 24. The above described arrangement ensures aconstant tension of the sheet in both directions of travel andeliminates any slack or play in said sheet upon reversal of itsdirection of movement. Thus said sheet il may be positioned with greataccuracy in order to obtain an accurate reading of the cooperatingscales inscribed on the members 6 and ii. The machine is provided with abottom aperture 36 normally closed by'a plate 37screwed at 38 to thecasing l. Said aperture is used to reach the internal elements of thedevice for dismounting or other purposes. The machine may rest onsuitable foot pads 39.

Figure 4 shows still another embodiment according to the presentinvention which is similar to that of Figure 2. It differs therefromonly in the relative diameters of the cylinders and pulleys. Moreparticularly, the pulleys 21' and 24 have the same diameter but thecylinder 18 associated with the pulley 21 has a larger diameter than thecylinder 19' associated with the pulley 24.

Clockwise rotation of the shaft 23 positively rotates the ratchet andassociated pulley 24 through the cylinder 19 and pawl 32 as slippingoccurs between the belt 22 and its associated pulleys due to the factthat said belt tends to rotate the cylinder 18 at a greater peripheralspeed than is allowed by sheet 1l unwound from cylinder i9', wherebysaid sheet 11 is wound on cylinder 1S and is maintained taut.

Anti-clockwise rotation of the shaft 2.3 by the knob 27 positivelyrotates the smaller diameter cylinder 19 which winds the sheet Irlagainst the frictional force exerted by the brake lever 33 on theperiphery of the larger cylinder 13', as said sheet ll, due to therespective diameters of the cylinders and pulleys, causes the belt 22 torotate its associated pulley 24 at a slower angular speed than theangular speed at which the cylinder 19 is rotated the pawl 32 being thusdisengaged from the ratchet wheel 39. Said brake lever 33 Ialsomaintains the system at rest when the knobs 27 are not rotated.

While preferred embodiments according to the present invention have beenillustrated and described it is understood that various modificationsmay be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

l. A reeling device comprising a casing, two reels of unequal diameterrotatively mounted inside said casing at the ends thereof for rotationin two directions, a sheet member having its ends respectively Securedto and wound on said reels, braking means applied to the larger diameter reel, a shaft on which the smaller diameter reel is rigidlysecured, a first pulley rotatable on said shaft, a second pulley securedto said larger diameter reel, at least one knob secured to said shaftfor rotating the same, an endless belt trained on said pulleys andcapable of slipping relatively to at least one of them, and clutch meansfor rigidly connecting said smaller diameter reel and said first pulleywhen said shaft is rotated in a direction to cause the winding of saidsheet member on said larger diameter reel and for releasing said rigidconnection between said smaller diameter reel and said irst pulley whensaid shaft is rotated in a direction to cause the winding of said sheetmember on said smaller diameter reel, whereby said smaller diameter reelwill wind said iiexible sheet member against the frictional resistanceofY said braking means against said larger diameter reel, and saidlarger diameter reel will Wind said flexible sheet member against thefriction exerted by the slipping of said belt on at least one of saidpulleys.

2. A device as claimed in claim l, wherein said clutch means comprises aratchet wheel and a pawl engageable with said ratchet wheel.

3. A reeling device comprising a casing, first and second reels of equaldiameter rotatably mounted in said casing at the ends thereof, a sheetmember having its ends respectively secured Vto and wound on said reels,a larger diameter pulley coaxial with and rotatable with respect to saidfirst reel, a smaller diameter pulley coaxial with and rigidly securedto said second reel, frictional braking means applied to said secondreel, an endless belt trained on said pulleys and capable of slippingrelatively to at least one of the same, at least one knob associatedwith said iirst reel and clutch means for rigidly connecting said largerdiameter pulley to said first reel when said first reel is rotated in adirection to cause thewinding of saidV sheet member on said second reeland for releasing the rigid connection between said larger diameterpulley and said first reel when said first reel is rotated in adirection to cause the winding of said sheet member on said first reel,whereby said iirst reel will wind said flexible sheet member against thefrictional resistance of said braking means against said second reel andsaid second reel, will wind said flexible sheet member against thefriction .exerted by the' slipping of said belt on at least one of saidpulleys.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said clutch means comprises aratchet wheel and a pawl engageable with said ratchet wheel.

5. A reeling device comprising a casing, first and second reelsrotatably mounted in said casing at the ends thereof, a flexible sheetmember having its ends respectively secured to and wound on said reels,a rst pulley coaxial with and rotatable with respect to said irst reel,a second pulley coaxial with and rigidly secured to said second reel,frictional braking means applied to said second reel, an endless belttrained on said pulleys and capable of slipping relatively to at leastone of the same, at least one knob associated with said rst reel andclutch means for rigidly connecting said first pulley to said first reelwhen said first reel is rotated in a -direction to cause the Winding ofsaid sheet member on said second reel and for releasing `the rigidconnection between said rst pulley and said first reel when said firstreel -is rotated in a direction to cause the winding of said sheetmember on said iirst reel, the relative diameters of said reels andpulleys being such that the reel that is winding said sheet member at aparticular moment in one direction will be subjected to a force tendingto rotate said reel at a greater peripheral speed than the reel fromwhich said sheet member is unwound and the reel from which said flexiblesheet yis unwound at a particular moment in the other direction will besubjected to a frictional resistance whereby said second reel will Windsaid flexible sheet member against the friction exerted by the slippingof said belt on at least one of said pulleys and said first reel willwind said flexible sheet member against the frictional resistance ofsaid braking means against said second reel.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said clutch means comprises aratchet wheel and a pawl engageable with said ratchet wheel.

7. A reeling device as claimed in claim 5, further in'- cluding a shafton which said rst reel and said knob are rigidly secured, said firstpulley being freely rotatable on said shaft.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,109,627 Finch Mar. l, 1938 2,556,563 Townsend lune 12, 1951 2,714,492Stock Aug. 21, 1955

